God... nobody does it better!

Like many of you, I too have struggle to find the perfect cold weather clothing over the years.  I've tried every new product ever invented, Gore-tex, Wind-ex, Omni-Shield, Polypropylene, you name it and I've tried it,  and it all sucks.  You either sweat to death then freeze in it because it doesn't breath fast enough during really strenuous exercise or it develops per-ma stink and no matter how many times you wash it it smells 5 minutes after putting it on.

Well,  I've finally gone old school, back to the basics, nothing touches my skin anymore that isn't God made.  The old times had it figured out way before all this man made crap was invented.  Wool,  Fur and Cotton.  YES, you read it right, "cotton"  in the form of good old canvas.  You might think I'm nuts but I'm telling you this stuff rocks and is how it works...

Your base layer must be a tight fitting merino wool layer that hugs your skin and wicks the sweat away while still keeping you warm and not making you feel clammy and damp like the modern synthetics fabrics do.  Merino wool because it never smells no matter how many times you wear it without washing it and most importantly because it doesn't itch next to the skin.

Your second layer should be a lose fitting lose knit wool sweater that will insulate you but also breath very well and allow air to flow throw through and evaporate the moisture away.  I found a great wool zip up sweater with a flees collar that is amazing.  You might try the local thrift stores for something to fill this void. The loser the knit the better.

Finally, your third layer is your wind block shell.  This is were the old timers really had it right.  They wore canvas.  What they knew was that sweat kills and  in real cool weather (below 5) you have to allow the moisture to escape while still blocking the wind.  None of the modern fabrics can do this because they don't breath well enough.  But good old 6oz. canvas does the job to perfection.  It blocks the wind just enough to take the sting away but allows enough air and moisture through to allow for proper ventilation and moisture control.  Empire Canvas up in Duluth makes some assume products if you've got the cash.  I'm too Dutch so I went to the local fabric store and bought 4 yds of canvas and made my own Anorak Pullover shell. 

I mountain biked the last two day for over two hours when the temps were around -2 to -5 below, and this set up work amazing.  It was the first time ever that I was able to come into the house and eat dinner with my family right after riding without having to hurry up and change out of my wet clothes.  I sat there eating dinner and realized that I was cool or clammy in the least bit.

The Norwegians said it best..."There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing"